CLOVE

seventeen

⨯ brennan ⨯

I walk into the apartment, feeling tired and a little bloated from all the food I ate at dinner. It's quiet, but I expect that. Clover was probably already asleep by now, it's late.

I lock the door behind me and kick off my shoes, feeling the tiredness settling into my bones. I make my way through the familiar surroundings, stepping into the bedroom.

My eyes immediately fall on the bed, expecting to see Clover sleeping peacefully beneath the covers. But something's off. The bed is empty.

I feel a pang of worry and confusion. Where is she? She should be asleep by now. I turn on the light and look around the room, my eyes scanning for any sign of her.

As I search the room, my ears suddenly catch the sound of running water coming from the bathroom. It's faint, but distinct. The shower is on.

I quickly step out of the bedroom and toward the bathroom, concern etched on my face. I hear the sound of the shower water more clearly now, confirming my suspicions.

As I reach the bathroom door, I pause and knock softly on the door. "Clover?" I call out quietly.

There's no answer. Just the sound of the shower running. I knock again, a little louder this time. "Clover, are you in there?" I try again, my worry growing.

Still no answer. I try the doorknob, hoping it's unlocked. To my surprise, it is. I open the door slowly, the sound of the running water growing louder as I enter the bathroom.

As I step into the bathroom, I see that the shower curtain is only half closed. Through the gap, I can vaguely make out the shape of someone behind it. But my eyes are immediately drawn to the floor. The bathroom is soaked, water puddles covering almost every inch of the tile surface.

My worry grows even more as I take in the scene. Something's not right, something's wrong. Why is there so much water on the floor? And why is the curtain only half-closed?

I move closer to the shower, my heart thudding in my chest. "Clover?" I call out again, a little louder this time. "Are you okay in there?"

Still no answer. I'm starting to panic now, my mind racing. Something must be wrong, something must be seriously wrong."

"Clover, please answer me," I call out again, my voice pleading. "Please tell me you're okay in there."

I reach out and grasp the edge of the shower curtain, preparing to pull it open. My heart is hammering in my chest, my mind racing with all sorts of worst-case scenarios.

As I pull back the shower curtain, my eyes take in the sight of Clovers naked body sitting on the floor of the shower. She's wet and shivering and her hair is plastered to her face, but she's not crying. She's just sitting there, staring straight ahead, her eyes empty and unfocused.

My heart sinks as I take in her appearance. I've seen her like this before, after she had one of her attacks from her depression. But something about this time feels different. She looks defeated, completely checked-out.

I quickly turn off the water, the sound of the shower stopping abruptly. And then I realize that the water was absolutely freezing cold. No wonder she's shivering.

I feel a pang of guilt and anger at myself for not noticing the water temperature sooner. But there's no time to dwell on that now. I need to focus on Clover, on figuring out what's wrong.

I speak to her gently, my voice low and soothing. "Hey, Clove," I murmur. "It's me, Brennan. I'm going to help you."

I quickly grab two towels from the nearby cabinet and wrap one around her shivering body. Then I carefully lift her up in my arms, her body limp and compliant, but not fighting me.